The present invention relates in general to pillows, and more particularly, an orthopaedic pillow cover with independent adjustments to provide various levels of neck and head support.
Most people spend a significant part of their life sleeping. To make sleep more comfortable, most people use a pillow to support their neck and head. However, many people suffer neck and back pain and headaches which are caused by static, inappropriate, insufficient or improper support of the head or neck while laying down or sleeping. Muscle fatigue then sets in induced by the static, inappropriate, improper or insufficient support. To reduce the muscle strain and fatigue when sleeping or lying down, adjustable support should be provided along the contour of the neck or body curvature. The present invention is directed towards providing better support for the head and neck so as to reduce neck and back strain, fatigue and pain.
Orthopaedic pillows or supports are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,731 (O""Sullivan) discloses a pillow cover having an open end which could be used to receive a conventional pillow, and a plurality of internal compartments for receiving various pillow inserts. While this patent teaches the use of various insert devices to adjust the level of support, the inserts are not integral parts of the pillow and are required to be inserted and removed as necessary to provide adjustable levels of support.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,248 (O""Sullivan) discloses a health pillow construction which contains two chambers with one chamber containing soft filler material and a second chamber containing a slidably moveable neck support that can be shifted from one position to another within the chamber. However, U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,248 does not teach the use of multiple neck supports, nor does it provide a support which is specifically contoured to fit the shape of the human neck. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,248 does not disclose a method of providing adjustable levels of support for the neck and head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,513 (Rinz) discloses a pillow case housing an insert of semi-cylindrical cross-section defining a curved surface. The single insert runs along the length of the pillow case and is made of a soft, resilient, elastomeric material.
Additional references are known which pertain to head and neck support pillows, as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,916,765;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,303;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,810;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,074;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,035;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,310;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,164;
U.S. Pat. No. 655,087;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,540.
While the known prior art support pillows disclose the provision of various types of pillow cases or support rolls within a pillow device, none of the known prior art teaches the combinations of a pillow case containing multiple support rolls, which are each shaped specifically to support the neck independent of the head and which are integral to the pillow case. In addition, none of the known prior art discloses an adjustable support pillow device with multiple adjustable and integral support bolsters which can be varied to provide a different level of support to the head and neck based upon whether a person is lying on their back, side or front or provide for the needs of different individuals with differently sized and shaped anatomies.
According to the present invention, an orthopaedic pillow cover is provided which provides support to relieve neck and back pain and discomfort associated with conventional pillows. The orthopaedic pillow cover of the present invention works in conjunction with a conventional pillow, with the conventional pillow inserted inside the orthopaedic pillow cover to provide a cost effective, infinitely adjustable orthopaedic support for the individual""s neck and head. The orthopaedic pillow cover of the present invention contains at least two neck support rolls which are designed to conform to the curvature of the neck. Additionally, the neck support rolls are of a different size so as to accommodate the specific circumstances depending upon whether the person is sleeping on their front, side or back. Furthermore, the neck support rolls are of a material which is more firm than a conventional pillow to provide a higher degree of support for the neck and head. Additionally, the orthopaedic pillow cover of the present invention, with its different size neck supports, allows the orthopaedic pillow cover to be adjusted to accommodate the needs of different individuals who each require different levels of neck and head support. The inventive orthopaedic pillow cover can be adjusted to provide support for the entire neck and head region regardless of the size of the individual. Furthermore, the neck rolls of the orthopaedic pillow cover of the present invention can pivot to provide multiple degrees and levels of adjustment of support. In addition, the orthopaedic pillow cover of the present invention can be infinitely adjusted by rotation on its axis around a conventional pillow to bring varying degrees of firm support as desired to any position between the shoulder, neck and head. Moreover, the orthopaedic pillow cover of the present invention can be turned inside out so that the neck supports are positioned on the outside of the cover for additional adjustment positions. The inventive pillow cover has the advantage of being easily transported and can be used to turn any conventional pillow such as is used at home or found in any hotel room into a sophisticated, infinitely adjustable head and neck support without the need to transport a bulky special pillow from place to place. Finally, the orthopaedic pillow cover of the present invention can be placed inside a conventional pillow case to match the existing bed linen.
In general, an orthopaedic pillow cover is provided for supporting a human neck and head comprising: a tubular fabric pillow band open on both of respective ends for encircling a conventional pillow; and two neck support rolls oppositely connected about their respective pivot points to an inside surface of the pillow band and positioned perpendicular to the respective ends of the pillow band.